MULTI-INDICATOR SURVEY ON CHILDRENS NUTRITION IN CROATIA (MICS) (UP TO 5 YEARS OF AGE)

Multi-indicator Survey (MICS) on children in Croatia was supported by UNICEF's Zagreb Office. The purpose of this research was to establish the present situation in terms of breastfeeding, nutrition and prevent ion. of the most significant health problems in primary health care i. e. acute respiratory and diarrhoeal diseases in children (ARI/CDD), an d the level of knowledge. The survey for MICS in. Croatia included alt ogether 370 segments, and from each 40 households were selected. This resulted in 14,800 households being selected for the final sample. 156 3 (or 10.6%) of households selected had children under 5 years of age. In the whole sample there were altogether 1937 children under 5 years of age. Having summarized all relevant data, several general conclusi ons and assumptions may be drawn. The breast-feeding rate is very low and therefore unsatisfactory. At the age of 4 months, more than 50% of all mothers have already stopped breast-feeding their infants, and on ly 20% of infants were breast-fed after the age of 6 months. We notice d an unfavourable trend towards a decrease in the rate of breast-feedi ng in tear areas. The war has negativelly affected breast-feeding. The prevalence of feeding using diluted cow's milk during the first six m onths is very high (30% in the first, and 60% in the second six months ). On the basis of this research, further activities should be planned .